NOTICE OF Council MEETING

PUBLIC SUPPLEMENTARY

AGENDA-A

An Ordinary Meeting of City of Parramatta Council will be held in PHIVE (COUNCIL CHAMBER) AT 5 PARRAMATTA SQUARE, PARRAMATTA on Monday, 28 August 2023 at 6:30PM.

Gail Connolly PSM

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Council                                                                                                            28 August 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ITEM                                                         SUBJECT                                               PAGE NO

13      Reports to Council - For Council Decision

13.10         LATE REPORT: Review of the City of Parramatta Council Ward Boundaries                                                                                                                      3

14      Notices of Motion

14.3           Free Parking for Persons Attending Council Meetings..................... 12

15      Questions with Notice

15.2           Question Taken on Notice at the 14 August 2023 Council Meeting 14

16      Confidential Matters

16.4           NOTE LATE REPORT: Leasing ICT Equipment

This report is confidential in accordance with section 10A (2) (d) of the Local Government Act 1993 as the report contains commercial information of a confidential nature that would, if disclosed (i) prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied it; or (ii) confer a commercial advantage on a competitor of the Council; or (iii) reveal a trade secret.

After the conclusion of the Council Meeting, and if time permits, Councillors will be provided an opportunity to ask questions of staff.

Council 28 August 2023                                                                                                  Item 13.10

REPORTS TO COUNCIL - FOR COUNCIL DECISION

ITEM NUMBER 13.10

SUBJECT                  LATE REPORT: Review of the City of Parramatta Council Ward Boundaries

REFERENCE            F2022/03176 - D09101211

REPORT OF Chief Governance & Risk Officer

CSP THEME: Fair

workshop/briefing date:  23 August 2023

PURPOSE:

The report seeks Council’s determination on reviewing the ward boundaries and the adjustments proposed to the ward boundaries following consideration of the details in this report.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council considers the options contained in this report and determine whether to proceed with adjusting the ward boundaries in accordance with the provisions of section 211 of the Local Government Act 1993.

BACKGROUND

1.      The NSW Electoral Commission has advised Council that the difference between the highest number of electors in the Rosehill Ward and the lowest number of electors in the North Rocks Ward is more than 10 percent variance and therefore does not comply with legislation.

2.      Under section 211 of the Local Government 1993 (Act) councils that are divided into wards are to keep ward boundaries under review to ensure the difference in elector numbers between wards does not exceed 10 percent.

ISSUES/OPTIONS/CONSEQUENCES

3.      As at 7 August 2023 the number of voters per ward recorded with the NSW Electoral Commission for the City of Parramatta are:

Ward Name	Ward Total
Parramatta North Rocks Ward	27,287
Parramatta Ward	27,612
Parramatta Epping Ward	28,514
Parramatta Dundas Ward	28,721
Parramatta Rosehill Ward	31,968
Total number of eligible voters	144,102

4.      When calculating the difference between the lowest number of electors, North Rocks Ward, to the highest number of electors, Rosehill Ward, the variance is 17.15 percent of voters, which is equivalent to a difference of close to 3,000 voters.

5.      Under the legislation, Council needs to redistribute the ward boundaries to comply with the legislation. However, Council could seek an exemption under the Act, in which case the City of Parramatta could alter its ward boundaries at the end of the first term of the 2024 Council.

6.      Presented below are two options Council could consider:

7.      Option 1 - Receive and note the report

Council to receive and note the report and not proceed further (status quo).

Section 211(3) of the Act states that nothing prevents a council that has become aware that the variance is more than 10 percent between wards from altering its ward boundaries before the end of the first year of the following term of office in council.

In November 2019, Council undertook a redistribution of the ward boundaries for the 2020 Local Government Election (‘Election’), however, the Election was delayed due to COVID-19. At the 2021 Election, Council was informed that the difference between the highest number of electors and lowest number of electors was 11 percent.

The NSW Electoral Commission has advised that the City of Parramatta was made aware at the 2021 Election that the variance of the ward boundaries was 11 percent. During this term, the Council has now become aware of the 17.15 percent variance between the highest elector numbers and lowest elector numbers.

In this regard, the City of Parramatta could resolve to redistribute its ward boundaries if the variance still exists after the first year of the 2024 term of Council.  However, 17.5 percent variance is a large percentage, and it would be more equitable for Council to have a better distribution of voters within its wards when going into the next election in September 2024.

At the Councillor workshop held on Wednesday 23 August 2023, there was feedback from Councillors to redistribute the wards now before going into the 2024 elections.

8.      Option 2 – Redistribute the ward boundaries

The Council would have to redistribute the ward boundaries with a similar resolution to the wording below:

That Council:

a)   agrees that the Rosehill Ward, Parramatta Ward, and North Rocks Ward are the only Wards affected by the redistribution of ward boundaries.

b)   adopts the proposed ward boundaries in Attachments 1 and 2 for public exhibition.

c)   places the proposed ward boundaries on public exhibition for a period of 28 days allowing for the receipt of submissions for up to 42 days after the day on which public exhibition commences.

d)   receives a report on the results of the public consultation including any submissions received.

e)   submits to the NSW Electoral Commissioner for approval the final redistributed ward boundaries and names of the Wards for the City of Parramatta.

Currently the variance between the lowest and highest eligible voters as at 7 August 2023 is 17.15 percent, which is a approximately 3,000 voters.

Under the legislation Council must adjust the ward boundaries unless it has only just become aware of the variance. In which case, Council could at the first term of the 2024 Local Government Election review its ward boundaries again if the 10 percent variance remains. However, given that the variance is well above the legislative requirement nd has been known for some time, it is recommended that the redistribution happens now before going into the 2024 election.

At the 23 August 2023 Councillor Workshop, Councillors provided feedback  on the proposed ward boundaries. Staff have taken onboard the feedback from Councillors at the Workshop and undertaken some minor adjustments to the ward boundaries as requested.

When taking the Councillors feedback onboard to readjust the ward boundaries, the following priority was applied by staff:

1.   Meeting the target number of electors to be moved between Wards.

2.   Contiguity of boundaries.

3.   Avoiding splitting of SA1 districts.

4.   Using major roads as a logical delineation point.

Below is the proposed redistribution of Ward boundaries which the NSW Electoral Commission’s Office has advised is consistent with the legislation.

Ward Name	Ward Total (Current)	Redistributed Ward Total (Proposed)	Number of voters to be redistributed
Parramatta North Rocks Ward	27,287	29,620	2,333
Parramatta Ward	27,612	28,075	463
Parramatta Epping Ward	28,514	28,514	0
Parramatta Dundas Ward	28,721	28,721	0
Parramatta Rosehill Ward	31,968	29,172	-2,796
Total number of voters	144,102	144,102

Rosehill Ward to Parramatta Ward

·    2,796 voters will be transferred from Rosehill Ward to Parramatta Ward, Attachment 1 shows the new ward boundaries.

The new Parramatta Ward boundary is, in general terms running from West to East: Pitt Street from the M4 Motorway, Great Western Highway, Parkes Street, then Harris Street to the Parramatta River.

Parramatta Ward to North Rocks Ward

·    2,333 voters will be transferred from Parramatta Ward to North Rocks Ward, Attachment 2 shows the new ward boundaries.

The new North Rocks Ward boundary is, in general terms running from West to East: Old Windsor Road from Toongabbie Creek; and Hammers Road from Old Windsor Road to Windsor Road.

Attachment 3 shows the proposed ward boundaries for the City of Parramatta.

9.      A proposed timeline is shown below should Council determine to proceed to redistribute the ward boundaries:

What	When
Council to decide on proposed ward boundary adjustment	28 August 2023 Council Meeting
Community Consultation (42 days)	30 August – 10 October 2023
Councillor Workshop	16 or 18 October 2023 (TBC)
Council resolution on ward boundary adjustment	23 October 2023
Deadline of ward boundaries and name boundaries with the Electoral Commissioner	27 October 2023
Implementation of new ward boundary	14 September 2024 (Local Government Election)

CONSULTATION & TIMING

Stakeholder Consultation

10.    The following stakeholder consultation has been undertaken in relation to this matter:

Date	Stakeholder	Stakeholder Comment	Council Officer Response	Responsibility
[Date of consultation]	[Name / Type of stakeholder]	[Summary of feedback from stakeholder (max. 50-100 word limit)]	[Council’s response to the feedback (max. 50-100 word limit)]	[Business Unit / Directorate / Staff responsible for consultation]
Nil

Councillor Consultation

11.    The following Councillor consultation has been undertaken in relation to this matter:

Date	Councillor	Councillor Comment	Council Officer Response	Responsibility
23 August 2023	Councillor Ward	·     Councillor Valjak requested staff to redistribute the Parramatta Ward and North Rocks Ward boundaries along Hammond Road.	Staff have redistributed the ward boundary subject to the legislative requirements. Feedback will be provided to Councillors.	Executive Director, Finance and Information
23 August 2023	Councillor Ward	·     Councillors Prociv, Noack and Siviero requested staff to redistribute the Rosehill Ward and Parramatta Ward along Banksia Street, Hassall Street and James Ruse Drive.	Staff have redistributed the ward boundary subject to the legislative requirements. Feedback will be provided to Councillors.	Executive Director, Finance and Information

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

12.    Council must on or before 27 October 2023, report the ward boundaries and name boundaries with the NSW Electoral Commissioner.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

13.    Should the decision be made to redistribute the ward boundaries the cost would be approximately $10,000.00 for the community engagement. Budget is available from the operational budget of the Finance and Information Department.

	FY 22/23	FY 23/24	FY 24/25	FY 25/26
Revenue
Internal Revenue
External Revenue
Total Revenue
	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Funding Source
Operating Result
External Costs
Internal Costs
Depreciation
Other
Total Operating Result	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Funding Source
CAPEX
CAPEX
External
Internal
Other
Total CAPEX	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil

Roxanne Thornton

Chief Governance & Risk Officer

John Angilley

Executive Director Finance & Information

Gail Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

Attachments:

1⇩	Redistribution Rosehill Ward and Parramatta Ward	1 Page
2⇩	Redistribution Parramatta Ward and North Rocks Ward	1 Page
3⇩	Proposed ward boundaries for the City of Parramatta	1 Page

REFERENCE MATERIAL

Item 13.10 - Attachment 1

Redistribution Rosehill Ward and Parramatta Ward

Item 13.10 - Attachment 2

Redistribution Parramatta Ward and North Rocks Ward

Item 13.10 - Attachment 3

Proposed ward boundaries for the City of Parramatta

Council 28 August 2023                                                                                                    Item 14.3

NOTICE OF MOTION

ITEM NUMBER 14.3

SUBJECT                  Free Parking for Persons Attending Council Meetings

REFERENCE            F2022/03176 - D09096041

FROM Councillor Kellie Darley

MOTION

(a)     That Council provide free parking at Parramatta Square Carpark for members of the public when attending a Council meeting.

(b)     That the CEO determine the best way for this to be executed, given the ticketless parking system, and make available details of the process on Council’s website and within the carpark.

(c)     Further, that for the period 1 September 2023 to 30 June 2024, the CEO maintain monthly records of the number of persons seeking free parking for attendance at Council meetings, and the resultant loss of income arising from the introduction of the free parking arrangements, for consideration by Council during the 2024/25 Budget (fees and charges) preparation process.

BACKGROUND

1.      Attendance at Council meetings by members of the public is central to democracy and ensuring transparency and engagement with Local Government.

2.      Until the Council chamber opened at PHIVE, parking was available to the public to attend Council meetings free of charge.

3.      With the opening of the new Parramatta Square Carpark however, it can now cost a person attending a Council meeting between $10 and $70 in parking fees, depending on the length of the meeting.

4.      This motion seeks to address the potential barrier for members of the public to attend Council meetings by providing free, convenient parking.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PROPERTY & PLACE RESPONSE

5.      Parking for Council meetings prior to the occupation of PHIVE, was provided as part of the lease arrangement on private land controlled by the owner of the Hall, not provided free by Council.  Prior to this, on street metered parking was utilised in Civic Place.  Public parking has never been provided free of charge for attendees of Council meetings.

6.      Parramatta Square parking is intended to provide public parking for all users of the CBD and particularly the customers and visitors of the businesses around the Square.

7.      The charges are set at a level to encourage turnover such that the spaces are available when needed and not taken up by long term parkers. For those members of the public who do not wish to pay for the convenience of parking at PHIVE, more cost-effective alternatives are available within walking distance of PHIVE.

8.       The basement of PHIVE is still partially under control of the builder completing works on the Town Hall. Once these works are complete (around February 2024) an area containing 9 extra car spaces will be available for PHIVE to operate as overflow parking and bump-in for events.

9.      It was intended that these spaces be made available for Councillors should the public parking be full at meeting times. These spaces could potentially be made available to Council meeting attendees on a booking system rather than attempt to complicate the public parking system in place.

10.    The process has been discussed with the PHIVE personnel, and it is agreed to be both workable and potentially the best long term solution to the issue.

FINANCIAL AND RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

11.    If Council resolves to adopt this Motion, the financial impact on the budget is commensurate with the number of free spaces occupied. Each space is estimated to return around $150 a day based on turning over 3 times across a 12-hour period, however detailed impacts on revenue cannot be provided due to the short length of time the car park has been operating.

Kellie Darley

Councillor

Bryan Hynes

Executive Director Property & Place

Gail Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

Attachments:

There are no attachments for this report.

Council 28 August 2023                                                                                                    Item 15.2

QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

ITEM NUMBER 15.2

SUBJECT                  Question Taken on Notice at the 14 August 2023 Council Meeting

REFERENCE            F2022/03176 - D09101189

REPORT OF Council Secretariat & Registers Officer

Questions with Notice

Councillor Darley asked a question on Item 12.2: Minutes of Audit Risk and Improvement Committee Meeting held on 23 February 2023

The Audit Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) meeting was held in February, and Council has only received the minutes in August, noting that the minutes are to be confirmed by the ARIC before it comes to Council.  Why is there a delay in receiving the minutes of the February ARIC meeting?

Executive Director Finance and Information Response:

The current process for ARIC minutes is as follows:

1.   The draft unconfirmed minutes are supplied by Governance to the Coordinator Internal Audit (Convenor of the meeting) for review and clarification of any issues with staff soon after the meeting.

2.   The draft unconfirmed minutes are then reviewed by the Risk and Audit Manager and then sent to the Chairperson for review.

3.   The reviewed, draft unconfirmed minutes are circulated to the remaining ARIC members for review and comment.

4.   Any necessary edits from the above reviews are incorporated into the minutes, which are now deemed to be ‘finalised’, but remain unconfirmed.

5.   The unconfirmed minutes are then included in the business papers for the next quarterly ARIC meeting, for ratification. When the ARIC meeting ratifies the minutes, they are now deemed to be confirmed minutes.

6.   Following ratification, the confirmed minutes are reported to an ordinary meeting of Council.

Noting the above, it can be expected for Council to receive the confirmed ARIC minutes approximately 4 to 4.5 months after the relevant meeting.

Vandana Saini

Council Secretariat & Registers Officer

Roxanne Thornton

Chief Governance & Risk Officer

John Angilley

Executive Director Finance & Information

Gail Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

Attachments: